Patterns and Functions: Function Machines

Objectives:

• Students will review patterns.

• Students will learn new vocabulary associated with functions.

• Students will learn about function rules.

• Students will learn how to complete function tables.

• Students will practice completing function tables.

• Students will practice writing function rules.

Suggested Grades:

Sixth Grade - Seventh Grade - Eighth Grade - Ninth Grade - including special education students

Lesson Procedure:

Print the classroom lesson plan and worksheet questions (see below).

Lesson Excerpt:

I. Introduction and Vocabulary

- "Today we are going to continue our work with patterns, but now we are moving on to patterns that are going to take a different form. This form is called a Function."
- "In mathematics, when we are talking about functions, we are talking about rules where one term has a relationship with another term. We could say that one term is a function of the other. The rule determines the relationship between the two terms."
- "For example, if I have 4, and my rule is to multiply the term by 2, then 4 x 2 = 8. 8 is a function of 4 x 2. I know that the words are a bit confusing, so let's try a real life example."

Continued...